One by one, the Calgary Stampeders emerged off the team bus at McMahon Stadium on Monday, defeated and exhausted after losing the biggest game of their 2012 Canadian Football League season.

Then, there was Larry Taylor — smiling warmly through the obvious disappointment and providing a little perspective on the team’s 35-22 loss at the hands of the Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts.

“It wasn’t my first Grey Cup being on the losing side,” pointed out the five-year CFL veteran kick returner, who wrapped up his second year with the Stampeders after two Grey Cup appearances with the Montreal Alouettes in 2008 and 2009. “I lost my first one in ’08 to Calgary when I was with Montreal. It was just one of those situations. At the end of the day, only one team can be victorious and hold up the Grey Cup.

“But I’m proud of the things we did as a team and as an organization this year. We still have a lot to hold our heads up over and be proud of.”

If there were any positives to be taken from Sunday’s game, it would have been the play of the always-dangerous and dynamic 27-year-old who did everything he possibly could to have an impact.

Clearly, that was best exemplified on a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that was eventually called back on a holding penalty on Keon Raymond in the third quarter. He was dynamite on kick returns all night, giving his team good field position on eight returns for 208 yards and even chipped in on offence with a 42-yard reception.

And, by far, he one of the best players on the field dressed in red and white.

“You know, I had a good game because of the guys up front,” Taylor deflected Monday, while players warmed up their cars and trucks in the McMahon Stadium parking lot. “They other 11 guys did an amazing job with blocking and creating lanes for me and giving me an opportunity to show my God-given talent. That was the key. I just told those guys, give me a chance. Give me some space to work with and I can do some special things. That’s what we were able to do — fight. But unfortunately, it didn’t play out for us.”

The 99 yards that the Stampeders took in penalties didn’t help matters either, including Raymond’s holding penalty which would have been a momentum-shifting play. But Taylor held no blame.

“You know, it hurt us,” he said. “Guys were out there playing hard. But sometimes it goes that way. Guys try to play so hard and sometimes we take foolish penalties. It was just one of those things. We picked the wrong day on the biggest stage to not play our best game.”

Taylor is one of the Stampeders’ lengthy list of free agents, who could explore his options in the off-season. Others include kicker Rob Maver, offensive linemen Stanley Bryant and Mark Dewit, receiver Romby Bryant, safety Eric Fraser, and defensive linemen Justin Phillips, Corey Mace, Chris McCoy, and Brian Bulcke. The season has been a solid one for Taylor, who finished fourth in the league with 1,583 combined return yards behind the CFL’s most outstanding player Chad Owens and his 2,510 yards with Toronto, despite missing seven games after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in September. Earlier this year, he’d also burned the Argonauts on a 125-missed field goal return on July 7 — a highlight-reel play of the year.

But for Taylor specifically, he said the decision-making process of where he’ll end up in 2013 hasn’t even begun.

“I haven’t even thought about any of that type of stuff right now,” said Taylor whose penchant for big plays also makes him a threat on certain offensive series, not just a one-job man. “When that time comes around, I’m going to do what is best for me and my family and we’ll go from there.

“I love Calgary. I’ve only been with two teams, Montreal and Calgary. This is a great organization. This is the place I’d love to be at but when the time is right and I need to make that decision, I’ll have to do what’s best for me and my family at the end of the day.”

Following the Stampeders’ team dinner, Taylor had spent the evening with his wife and uncle who travelled from Orlando, Fla., for support.

For everyone, it’s been a long week of Grey Cup preparations, appearances, and hectic scheduling. Then, the game.

“Oh, it takes a toll on you,” he said. “Just preparing for the Grey Cup and all the activities that’s going on around you and the type of schedule you have to deal with, all the stuff that’s going on. But, you know, you put yourself in those type of situations. It’s a privilege and honour to be in those type situations so you have to go with what comes along with it. I wouldn’t have changed anything other than going out and playing the type of football we knew we were capable of playing. But Toronto played a good football game and deserved to win. They were the better team Sunday.”

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